Stable inversions for complete moment tensors

The seismic moment tensors for certain types of sources, such as volcanic earthquakes and nuclear explosions are expected to contain an isotropic component. Some earlier efforts to calculate the isotropic component of these sources are flawed due to an error in the method of Jost & Herrmann. We corrected the method after Herrmann & Hutchensen and found great improvement in the recovery of non-double-couple moment tensors that include an isotropic component. Tests with synthetic data demonstrate the stability of the corrected linear inversion method, and we recalculate the moment tensor solutions reported in Dreger et al. for Long Valley caldera events and Dreger & Woods for Nevada Test Site nuclear explosions. We confirm the findings of Dreger et al. that the Long Valley volcanic sources contain large statistically significant isotropic components. The nuclear explosions have strikingly anomalous source mechanisms, which contain very large isotropic components, making it evident that these events are not tectonic in origin. This indicates that moment tensor inversions could be an important tool for nuclear monitoring.     

Synchronizing seismic networks with ambient noise

The technique of retrieving Green's functions by pairwise correlation of a random wavefield is used to estimate the stability of the timing system of a seismic network. The method is demonstrated with data from a network consisting of stations with four independent clocks and GPS-receivers. For a two years period, daily measurements of the timing error of each of the four systems are obtained. These measurements can be used to correct the timing of the data in periods without GPS reception. The accuracy of this method can exceed the precision of the internal station clocks already after a single day of uncorrected drift.     

Recent Geochemical Variation of the Hot-Spring Gases from the Tianchi Volcano, Changbai Mountains, Northeast China

Recent fluid monitoring work shows that the contents of mantle-derived CO_2,He and CH_4 increased anomalously in 2002 and 2003. The 3He/4He ratio of the deep-fault-type Jinjiang hot springs increased highly anomalously in 2003, and then decreased in 2004. The 3He/4He ratio from the thermal-reservoir-type Changbaijulong hot springs increased slowly in 2003, and the increase continued in 2004. The mantle-derived He content of the He released from the Changbaijulong springs increased obviously in 2004. The anomaly of the released gases and the isotopic He was consistent with the trends of seismic activities in the Tianchi volcanic area between 2002 and 2004. The abnormal release of the Jinjiang hot springs apparently decreased after the seismic activities ceased in the second half of 2004, while the abnormal release from the Changbaijulong increased significantly after these seismic activities. It shows that the abnormal release of magmas-derived gases from the thermal-reservoir-type springs lags behind that of the deep-fault-type springs. These characteristics may be of great significance for identifying deep magmatic activity and predicting volcanic earthquakes in the future.     

腾冲火山岩年龄问题评述

腾冲火山及火山岩是国内新近纪火山及其喷发物九大分布区之一,研究程度较广较深,喷发序列岩石定岩及年龄值资料丰富,综合评述并指出今后研究方向。     

EM Monitoring of Crustal Processes Including the Use of the Network-MT Observations

There are several kinds of coupling mechanisms which can convert mechanical, chemical or thermal energies due to seismic or volcanic activities into electromagnetic energies. As a result of concentrated efforts in laboratory and theoretical research, the basic relationship between the intensity of electromagnetic sources and changes in mechanical, chemical and thermal state is becoming established. Also with the progress of the electromagnetic simulation techniques, it has been possible to evaluate in situ sensitivity. Based on this progress and also due to extensive improvement in measuring techniques, many field experiments have been performed to elucidate subsurface geophysical processes underlying the preparation stage, onset, and subsequent healing stage of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. In volcanic studies, many studies have reported the measurement of electromagnetic signals which were successfully interpreted in terms of various driving mechanisms. Although there have been numerous reports about the existence of precursory electromagnetic signals in seismic studies, only a few of them could be successfully explained by the proposed mechanisms, whereas coseismic phenomena are often consistent with those mechanisms including the absence of detectable signals. In many cases, one or two orders of higher sensitivity were required, especially for precursory signals. Generally, electromagnetic methods are more sensitive to near-surface phenomena. It will be necessary to discriminate electromagnetic signals due to these near-surface sources, which often possess no relationship with the crustal activities. Further efforts to enhance in situ sensitivity through improvements in observation techniques and in data processing techniques are recommended. At the same time, multi-disciplinary confirmation against the validity of electromagnetic phenomena will inevitably be necessary. A Network-MT observation technique has been developed to determine large-scale deep electrical conductivity structure. In the method, a telephone line network or purpose-built long baseline cables are utilized to measure voltage differences with long electrode separations. Because of the averaging effect of the electric fields, static shift problems due to small-scale, near-surface lateral heterogeneities can be alleviated. Several field experiments revealed regional scale deep electrical conductivity structures related to slab subduction or its stagnation, which enable us to elucidate underlying physical processes caused by the slab motion. The technique can also be applied to monitor the electric potential field related to crustal activities. The annual variation of the potential field and electrical conductivity in the French Alps were interpreted to be caused by the annual variation of lake water level. The method was also used to monitor the regional scale spatio-temporal variation of the SP field and electrical conductivity before and at the onset of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.     

Classification of seismic signals at Villarrica volcano (Chile) using neural networks and genetic algorithms

Each volcano has its own unique seismic activity. The aim of this work is to construct a system able to classify seismic signals for the Villarrica volcano, one of the most active volcanoes in South America. Since seismic signals are the result of particular processes inside the volcano's structure, they can be used to forecast volcanic activity. This paper describes the different kinds of seismic signals recorded at the Villarrica volcano and their significance. Three kind of signals were considered as most representative of this volcano's activity: the long-period, the tremor, and the energetic tremor signals. A classifier is implemented to read the seismic registers at 30-second intervals, extract the most relevant features of each interval, and classify them into one of the three kinds of signals considered as most representative of this particular volcano. To do so, 1033 different kinds of 30-s signals were extracted and classified by a human expert. A feature extraction process was applied to obtain the main characteristics of each of them. This process was developed using criteria which have been shown by others to effectively classify seismic signals, based on the experience of a human expert. The classifier was implemented with a Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) artificial neural network whose architecture and training process were optimized by means of a genetic algorithm. This technique searched for the most adequate MLP configuration to improve the classification performance, optimizing the number of hidden neurons, the transfer functions of the neurons, and the training algorithm. The optimization process also performed a feature selection to reduce the number of signal features, optimizing the number of network inputs. The results show that the optimized classifier reaches more than 93% exactitude. identifying the signals of each kind. The amplitude of the signals is the most important feature for its classification, followed by its frequency content. The described methodology can be used to classify more seismic signals to improve the study of the activity of this volcano or to extend the study to other active volcanoes of the region.     

Volcanic tsunamis and prehistoric cultural transitions in Cook Inlet,Alaska

The 1883 eruption of Augustine Volcano produced a tsunami when a debris avalanche traveled into the waters of Cook Inlet. Older debris avalanches and coeval paleotsunami deposits from sites around Cook Inlet record several older volcanic tsunamis. A debris avalanche into the sea on the west side of Augustine Island ca. 450 years ago produced a wave that affected areas 17 m above high tide on Augustine Island. A large volcanic tsunami was generated by a debris avalanche on the east side of Augustine Island ca. 1600 yr BP, and affected areas more than 7 m above high tide at distances of 80 km from the volcano on the Kenai Peninsula. A tsunami deposit dated to ca. 3600 yr BP is tentatively correlated with a southward directed collapse of the summit of Redoubt Volcano, although little is known about the magnitude of the tsunami. The 1600 yr BP tsunami from Augustine Volcano occurred about the same time as the collapse of the well-developed Kachemak culture in the southern Cook Inlet area, suggesting a link between volcanic tsunamis and prehistoric cultural changes in this region of Alaska.     

Renewed uplift at the Yellowstone Caldera measured by leveling surveys and satellite radar interferometry

 A first-order leveling survey across the northeast part of the Yellowstone caldera in September 1998 showed that the central caldera floor near Le Hardy Rapids rose 24±5 mm relative to the caldera rim at Lake Butte since the previous survey in September 1995. Annual surveys along the same traverse from 1985 to 1995 tracked progressive subsidence near Le Hardy Rapids at an average rate of –19±1 mm/year. Earlier, less frequent surveys measured net uplift in the same area during 1923–1976 (14±1 mm/year) and 1976–1984 (22±1 mm/year). The resumption of uplift following a decade of subsidence was first detected by satellite synthetic aperture radar interferometry, which revealed approximately 15 mm of uplift in the vicinity of Le Hardy Rapids from July 1995 to June 1997. Radar interferograms show that the center of subsidence shifted from the Sour Creek resurgent dome in the northeast part of the caldera during August 1992 to June 1993 to the Mallard Lake resurgent dome in the southwest part during June 1993 to August 1995. Uplift began at the Sour Creek dome during August 1995 to September 1996 and spread to the Mallard Lake dome by June 1997. The rapidity of these changes and the spatial pattern of surface deformation suggest that ground movements are caused at least in part by accumulation and migration of fluids in two sill-like bodies at 5–10 km depth, near the interface between Yellowstone's magmatic and deep hydrothermal systems. Received: 30 November 1998 / Accepted: 16 April 1999     

内蒙古巴彦敖包地区安格尔音乌拉组地层锂土壤地球化学异常成因研究

内蒙古巴彦敖包地区广泛出露上泥盆统安格尔音乌拉组地层,1∶5万土壤地球化学测量工作圈定的31处锂单元素异常与安格尔音乌拉组地层分布范围吻合良好。安格尔音乌拉组地层锂元素的富集与该套地层的原生沉积作用密切相关,未发生次生富集。通过对安格尔音乌拉组地层碎屑物源区及沉积作用的研究,认为其锂元素物质来源与镁铁质火山岩中锂元素的侵蚀溶出有关。溶出的锂元素被碎屑物中的粘土矿物吸附随后沉积成岩造成区内广泛分布的锂土壤地球化学异常。进而做出推断,研究区内晚泥盆世甚至更早存在大规模中基性火山活动,应该存在大规模古火山机构。提出一种新的沉积型锂矿成矿模式,即古火山机构周边的粘土矿物含量较高的碎屑岩层位在一定构造背景及沉积环境下可以具备锂元素富集成矿的条件。     

中国东北地区远震P波走时层析成像研究

利用中国东北流动和固定台网的234个宽频带地震仪记录的远震波形数据,采用波形相关方法拾取了57251个有效相对走时残差数据,进一步采用FMTT(Fast Marching Teleseismic Tomography)层析成像的方法,反演获取了研究区下方深达800 km的P波速度结构.结果显示:在长白山下方发现有一个高速异常结构,这可能就是俯冲到欧亚大陆板块下方的太平洋板块,由于板块的部分下沉,使得板块的形状并没有呈现出明显的板片状.长白山、阿尔山、五大连池火山下方都有低速异常体,长白山和阿尔山下的低速异常向下延伸至地幔转换带,可能与其上部的火山形成有关.五大连池火山下方的低速异常向下延伸至200 km左右,不同埋深的低速异常结构可能意味着五大连池与长白山和阿尔山有着不同的成因.松辽盆地呈现以高速异常为主导高低速异常混合分布的特性,暗示松辽盆地可能有岩石圈拆沉的过程,盆地南部下方的低速异常与长白山和阿尔山下的低速异常有连通性,可能是下地幔热物质上涌的一个通道.